Stepping relay



April 12, 1966 o. D. JAcoBsoN 3,246,096

STEPPING RELAY Filed Aug. 29, 1965 /Nl/ENTO/Q O. 0. JACOBSON ATTORNEYUnited States Patent Oiitice 3,246,096 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 3,246,096STEIPING RELAY Oscar D. Jacobson, New York, N.Y., assignor to BellTelephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N .Y a corporation ofNew York Filed Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,362 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-87)This invention relates to relays in which magnetic members are attractedto each other by the application of a suitable magnetic field tothem.More particularly, the invention is concerned with a relay having anarray of deflectable and fixed magnetic members, for example,defiectable contacts or reeds and fixed contacts, associated withmagnetic means for their operation. The arrangement is such that aplurality of successive pulses properly applied serially operates pairscomprising a reed and a contact. Thus we-have a stepping or pulsingrelay.

Itis. old in the relay art to operate successively the pairs of contactsof a stepping relay. In the prior art devices, however, eachpairf..contacts has related to it some kind of a latching, unlatching, orother mechanical conditioning means so that operation of one pair on apulse' makes the next pair readyfor operation by the next pulse,'and soon.

0n a black box basis, the relay of this invention would appear to be thesame as the devices of the prior art but it is not because it differstherefrom in its mechanism and operation. The interrelation of thecontact pairs of this device is magnetic `and no mechanicalinterconnecting means is'required.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention comprises a row ofdetiectable magnetic reeds or armatures and a like row of fixed magneticcontacts interleaved with the reeds. The rows are longitudinally offsetso that with an equal number of armatures and of fixed contacts there isan armature at the start and a fixed contact at the finish end of therows. The elements are spaced so that each armature except the one atthe start end is flanked by two ixed contacts, each of which is at thesame distance from its armature as is the other.

In order for this array to perform as required, magnetic operators areassociated with the magnetic contact elements. These operators comprisea holding or latching means and an operating means. Each of these meansmay be and usually will be an electromagnet.

A convenient way to arrange the assembly is to surround the iixedcontacts with a latching coil and the deflectable contacts or reeds withan operating coil. With the parts so assembled, the stepping operationmay proceed in this way:

The latching magnet is activated but nothing happens until theapplication of a pulse to the operating coil. The combined effect of thetwo coils causes the odd armature (the before noted one at the startend) to be attracted to the adjacent fixed contact. None of the otherarmatures is deflected by this pulse because each is equally spacedbetween two xed contacts and magnetic balance obtains. The operation ofthe first armature applies a magnetic shunt to one side of the nextmagnetically balanced arrangement, thus unbalancing it and preparing itfor operation at the next pulse.

The indicated operation may be continued step by step through the wholearray. Each armature remains magnetically latched to its contact byvirtue of the continued operation of the latching magnet. The array maybe conditioned for another stepping series by a short interruption ofthe latching field.

The operation of this switch may perhaps be better understood byassuming that the latching magnet sets up a south pole at the free endof each fixed contact. Then the provision by the operating magnet of anorth pole at the end of each magnetic armature causes mutual attractionif not prevented by the balanced condition, when it occurs.

Although the latching magnet may be an electromagnet, it may also be apermanent magnet. In such a case, it would probably be fixed in positionbut might be made movable into and out of operative position. If thelatching magnet were permanent and iixed, the array could be deactivatedby means of a reverse pulse on the operating coil to provide adjacentlike poles to repel the armatures from the fixed contacts.

It may be noted that with the latching magnet activated, a long pulse orcontinuous energization ofthe operating magnet would cause a steppingthrough the array either clear to the end or. to an intermediate pointas dictated by the length of the long pulse. In order for this relay tooperateon a one-step-per-pulse basis, the pulses must be only ofsufficient durationto deflect one armature but not the next one. y

In view of the foregoing, it is presumably apparent that an object oithis invention is. to improve stepping or pulsing relays by means of anelectromagnetic arrangement featured by the elimination of-mechanicalconditioning means that require or permitsuccessive operation of theindividual switches of a series of switches.

The following description of exemplary embodiments of this inventionwill serve to illustrate the objects sought to be accomplished and thefeatures involved in this accomplishment. This description is related tosuitable drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a similar representation of another embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a picturization in elevation ofA one rendering of an assembledswitching arrangement; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 3.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 includes a series of make switchescomprising deiiectable contacts, armatures, or reeds 11, 12, 13, 14, and15 cooperating respectively with iixed or stub contacts 11A, 12A, 13A,14A, and 15A. These contacts of magnetic material are mountedrespectively in base members 10 and 10A of insulation. A latching orholding coil 20A encompasses the lixed contacts 11A through 15A, and anoperating coil 20 the deiiectable contacts 11 to 15, inclusive.

yIt will be notedthat the two. sets of contacts are interleaved, andthat each deflectable contact except d1 is ilanked by two fixedcontacts, land each fixed contact except ISA by two deflectablecontacts. In the quiescent or unoperated condition of this relay eachlianking contact is essentially the same distance from the interveningcontact as its flanking mate, that is, 11A and 12A from 1:2, 12A and 13Afrom: 13, etc.

If the holding coil 20A is energized so as to make the free ends of eachfixed contact the south pole as illustrated, the energization of theoperation coil 20 should be so as to make the movable ends of thedeflecta-ble conrtacts each a nor-th pole. Thus, a suitable pulse oncoil 20 will cause the reed A11 to be deflected into contact with thecontact 11A. The remaining reeds will not be deliected because of .themagnetic balancing eifect of their flanking contacts. The presence ofthe reed 111 against the` stub contact 11A essentially eliminates itsmagnetic lpole eiiect, leaving the reed 1,2 in an unbalanced field andthus conditioned to be ope-rated `by 4the next pulse on the coil 20.Thus, each `operated switch prepares its next neighbor for operation allthe way down the line. The holding or latching of each switch by theholding coil is `continued until canceled in some way. lOne way olfdoing this is by -deenergization of the holding coil.

Irf the operating power is steady rather than pulse, the

stepping Wi-ll Icontinue from beginning to end. Therefore, if one stepof ythe relay per pulse is required, this pulse must tbe short enough toallow interruption of such continuous oper-ation. An arrangement of thiskind can be used to operate a given number of switches by theapplication of a pulse of suitable length. Conversely, a pulse ofunknown length can be measured by counting the num-ber of switchesoperated. Other variants will occur to those skilled -in the art.

The relay illustrated in FIG. 2 is similar to that of FIG. 1 but inaddition has nonmagnetic .back contacts so that it can perform transferfunctions. For each deectable reed 11, .12, etc. there -is a matingnonmagnetic back contact 11B, 12B, etc. Each reed is mechanically biasedagainst its back cont-act. Upon operation of the relay, the reed lilleaves the back contact 11B and moves to the xed contact 11A which is afront contact, and so As h-as been indicated hereinbefore, the magneticeld Ifor operating a relay of this kind may be set up by electromagnets,4permanent magnets, magnetically remanent bodies, or combinations ofthem.

This kind of relay may take various forms for practical use, one ofwhich is illust-rated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The deectable contacts or reeds30 may `be moldedV into a supporting block 31. A similar block 32supports the fixed or stub contacts 33. An operating coil 34 ts aroundthe reeds 30 and a hold or latching coil 35 around 'the lixed contacts33. These elements may be tted into a box or housing 36 as shown. Theterminals 37 and 38, which may be molded respectively into the blocks 31and 32, serve to make connections to the deectable and the xed contacts.'I'he terminals 39-39 and` 40--40 are for making connection to theoperating and latching coils respectively. The housing or box 36 mayhave a transparent or opaque cover as required.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination:

a lplurality of xed magnetic members;

a like plurality of deflectable magnetic members interleaved With thefixed magnetic mem-bers so that each deectable magnetic member exceptone is between two fixed magnetic members and equidistant therefrom;

means for generating a magnetic lield with respect to the xed magneticmembers; and

means for generating a magnetic eld with respect to the detiectablemagnetic members.

2. A stepping relay comprising:

a plurality of aligned xed magnetic contacts;

a like plurality of aligned dediectable magnetic contacts interleavedwith the xed magnetic contacts so that each deectable magnetic contactexcept one at the end is flanked by two fixed magnetic contacts each atthe same distance therefrom;

means for generating a magnetic field of a particular polarity withrespect to the lixed magnetic contacts; and

means for generating a magnetic iield of opposite polarity with respectto the deectable contacts.

3. A stepping relay ,as in claim 2 further having a plurality ofnonmagnetic iixed contacts in engagement with each deectable magneticcontact when it is undeected.

No references cited.

BERNARD A. GILHBANY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION: A PLURALITY OF FIXED MAGNETIC MEMBERS; A LIKEPLURALITY OF DEFLECTABLE MAGNETIC MEMBERS INTERLEAVED WITHE THE FIXEDMAGNETIC MEMBERS TO THAT EACH DEFLECTABLE MAGNETIC MEMBER EXCEPT ONE ISBETWEEN TWO FIXED MAGNETIC MEMBERS AND EQUIDISTANT THEREFROM; MEANS FORGENERATING A MAGNETIC FIELD WITH RESPECT TO THE FIXED MAGNETIC MEMBERS;AND MEANS FOR GENERATING A MAGNETIC FILED WITH RESPECT TO THEDEFLECTABLE MAGNETIC MEMBERS.